Surgical needle apparatus

ABSTRACT

A surgical needle apparatus having an elongated metal body tapered at one end and having a suture material holding means at the opposite end. The opposite end is split with the end of the split formed into gripping jaws for gripping suture material, and the split portions have raised areas between the end of the split so that compressing the non-raised area together will force the raised area in the split to force the gripping jaws to open for inserting and removing suture material.

United States Patent 11 Hardwick [451 Apr. 29, 1975 i 1 SURGICAL NEEDLEAPPARATUS {76] Inventor: Charles W. Hardwick. 600 W. 27th St.. Sanford.Fla. 3277i [22] Filed: Jan. 28. I974 [2i] Appl. No.: 437.002

152] U.S. Cl nil/339: mil/33) [5|] Int. Cl Ablh 17/06 I58] Field ofSearch Ell/339. 334. 335.5. 340. Bil/326. 330; Ill/2Z2. 2201223/l02.[033 339/248 S, 258 RR. 266 R. 373. 276 R; 24/l29 W-l3l R. 138.255 R.255 T2. 259

|56| References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 324.030 8/1885 Kratz Bil/339l.-)60.ll7 5/1934 Lydcard Dbl/339 3.043.902 7/l962 Klein 34/137 RPrimary litumincr-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-Rick OpitzAttorney. Agent. or FirmDuckworth Hobby & Allen l57| ABSTRACT A surgicalneedle apparatus having an elongated metal body tapered at one end andhaving a suture material holding means at the opposite end. The oppositeend is split with the end of the split formed into gripping jaws forgripping suture material. and the split portions have raised areasbetween the end of the split so that compressing the non-raised areatogether will force the raised area in the split to force the grippingjaws to open for inserting and removing suture material.

] Claim. 6 Drawing Figures SURGICAL NEEDLE APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to a reusable surgical sewingneedle and especially to such a needle which may be easily connected anddisconnected from suturing material with the use of surgical forceps.

In the past it has been common to provide a great variety of suturingneedles. one of the most common types being a non-reusable needle whichcomes complete with suturing material attached thereto and which isthrown away after the needle has been used. This type of needle ispurchased sterilized and has many advantages. but is expensive inasmuchas both suture material and a stainless steel needle are being disposedof. There have also been a great variety of suggestions for providingsurgical needles and having means for attaching suture material withoutleaving a knot or other enlarged areas at the blunt end of the needle tointerfere with the passage of the needle and suture material through thetissue being sewn. Typical of the prior art needles considered mostpertinent to the present invention are U.S. Pat. No. 2.240.330 for aSurgical Needle adapted to have suture material attached in a variety ofways including clamping of suture material to a connector which isconnected to the needle. U.S. Pat. No. L98 1 .651 has a threadedattachment which is removed for passing the suture material through andknotting prior to reattaching to the needle. U.S. Pat. No. 2.023.807 hasa standard eye passing through the needle which is slotted to the endfor twisting suture material into the slotted bore in the end of theneedle. U.S. Pat. No. 2,7l5.486 teaches a Fast-Threading Needle withTrailing Flexible Link which provides means for engaging a looper endonto a needle. U.S. Pat. No. 3.592.l96 teaches a Surgical Needle withSuture- Retaining Means. while U.S. Pat. No. 3.074.409 teaches aSurgical Needle for Medical Purposes having a curved slotted area forattaching suture material. The Surgical Needle in U.S. Pat. No.3.249.l04 has a pinned portion for allowing gripping jaws to be lifted.

and then locked in place with the suture material attached. U.S. Pat.No. 965.2l9 has a quick threading surgical needle with a pair of slotsfor engaging the suture material. and the needle in U.S. Pat. No.l.l3l.l55 has gripping surfaces inside a slotted bore.

The present needle provides a reusable surgical needle in which thesuture material can be quickly connected and disconnected to the bluntend of a needle without providing a raised surface such as found in aknotted connection in the usual manner to a needle eye. This presentneedle facilitates rapid and easy loading of the needle while holdingthe suture material securely to the needle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a surgicalneedle having an elongated metal or stainless steel body having atapered end portion and a blunt end portion or suture material holdingend. The suture material holding end has been split a portion of the wayinto the needle. and each side of the split being shaped with matchingpairs of concave surfaces joined by a pair of convex surfacestherebetween with the tip of the blunt end having a pair of grippingjaws for gripping the end of suture material. Thus. a pair of forcepscan be used to compress the split portion of the needle having concavesurfaces forcing the convex surfaces therebetween together and liftingthe gripping jaws of the needle as well as the area between theremaining concave surfaces for inserting or removing suture material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Other objects. features and advantagesof this invention will be apparent from a study of the writtendescription and the drawings in which:

FIG. I shows a perspective view ofa needle in accordance with thepresent invention with a piece of suturing material ready for insertion;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the blunt end of the needle prior toinserting the suture material;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the needle having thesuture material attached;

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the suture material attaching portionof the needle;

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view as shown in FIG. 4 but held by needleclamp during insertion of a piece of suture material; and

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the suture material securing portionof the needle engaging a piece of suturing material.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing.FIG. 1 illustrates an arcuate surgical needle 10 in accordance with thepresent invention having a tapered end 11 and a piece of suture materialholding end 12 having a blunt tip I3. The end l2 has a split 14 runningfrom the blunt end 12 into the needle body l0 and includes a pair ofcurved suture material gripping jaws 15 which touch at either side 16.Gripping surface 15 may be a sharp surface for engaging suture materialbeing inserted. but could also be ridged or other surfaces for engagingdifferent types of suturing material. The split area I4 has a pair ofconcave surfaces 17 and a second pair of concave surfaces 18 connectedby a pair of convex surfaces 20. That is the split portion 14 hasportions re moved at 17 and 18 or alternatively a raised portion 20 anda piece of suturing material 21 is illustrated ready for insertion intothe needle. It should be noted that in curved needles the split runsperpendicular to the curvature of the needles to prevent disengagementof the suture material during use since forceps are used during thesuturing operation with the needle being gripped between the concave andconvex sides thereof.

Turning to FIGS. 2 and 3, the operation of the needle 10 is more clearlyillustrated with a pair of needle clamps or surgical forceps 22compressing split portions 23 of the blunt end portion 12 togetherdirectly over concave surfaces I7, thus driving the convex surfaces 20together and forcing the jaws 15 to separate along with separating theconcave surfaces I8, thus allowing the suturing material 21 to beinserted into the jaws l5 and the forceps 22 released so that the jawsclamp down on the suturing material and hold it in place as illustratedin FIG. 3. This type of suture material can be utilized equally wellwith a curved or arcuate needle as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 or with astraight needle as more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 4 through 6 inwhich the blunt end l2 of the suturing needle IO has the same curvedsurfaces 17 from the removal of material in a split 14 which forms apair of split portions 23 in the raised area or convex surfaces I4flowing into a second pair of concave or arcuate surfaces 18 which havehad material removed from the portion 23 which in turn end in a pair ofgripping jaws 15 at the blunt end l3 of the needle 10 so that theforceps 22 of FIG. 2 can open the jaws by the compression over the openarea formed by the surfaces l7 which allows the force to be applied tothe raised areas 14 to lift the jaws 15. The suture material 2] is thenheld h the spring action of the portions 23 and separates the raisedportions [4 from each other. The suture material is released in asimilar manner upon the completion of the sewing operation.

It should be clear at this point that a reusable surgical needle hasbeen provided which may be made of stainless steel and maybe used with agreat variety of suture materials including stainless steel. silk.cottons. or syn' thetics as desired. and that the concave and convexsurfaces can he varied in shape as can he gripping jaws withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly. thisinvention is not to be construed as limited to the particular formsdisclosed Ill till

herein since these are to be regarded as illustrative rather thanrestrictive.

I claim:

I. A surgical needle comprising an elongated arcuate stainless steelbody having a tapered end portion and a flat blunt end portion; saidblunt end having an clon gated split extending axially from the flat tipthereof, each side of said split being shaped with matching pairs ofconcave surfaces joined by a convex surface therebetween and grippingjaws adjacent the tip of the blunt end and adjacent to and intersectingone pair of concave surfaces for holding suture material, said elongatedsplit bcing perpendicular to the concave and convex curvature of saidneedle body. whereb compress ing one pair of concave surfaces towardseach other will compress convex surfaces together along their curvatureand open said gripping jaws to engage or release suture material, andsaid gripping jaws having sharpened curved edges arced between edges ofeach said side of said blunt end split opening for biting and holdingstainless steel suture material.

1. A surgical needle comprising an elongated arcuate stainless steelbody having a tapered end portion and a flat blunt end portion; saidblunt end having an elongated split extending axially from the flat tipthereof, each side of said split being shaped with matching pairs ofconcave surfaces joined by a convex surface therebetween and grippingjaws adjacent the tip of the blunt end and adjacent to and intersectingone pair of concave surfaces for holding suture material, said elongatedsplit being perpendicular to the concave and convex curvature of saidneedle body, whereby compressing one pair of concave surfaces towardseach other will compress convex surfaces together along their curvatureand open said gripping jaws to engage or release suture material, andsaid gripping jaws having sharpened curved edges arced between edges ofeach said side of said blunt end split opening for biting and holdingstainless steel suture material.